NORWALK -- Running as a team, Democrats John E. Igneri and Thomas P. Livingston say they'll have the same priorities if they're elected to represent District E on the Common Council for the next two years.

Igneri, a retired investment management executive who also serves as a 6th Taxing District commissioner, is running for his third term on the council.

"I want to continue working with Mayor Rilling the next two years to move the city forward," Igneri said. "In the last two years we have seen development around the city with Head of the Harbor, POKO and Waypointe finally putting shovels in the ground after Mayor Rilling had 'serious' conversations with the developers."

He added that the council this week gave its approval to the regional shopping center known as The SoNo Collection. Such growth increases the city's Grand List of commercial properties thus "slowing the property tax growth for residents," according to Igneri.

Igneri said his four years of experience on the council and ability to work in "a civil, bipartisan way with the council is important to continue this growth."

Livingston, an attorney, has served as president of the Rowayton Civic Association and has been involved with many other community organizations. Until this year, he had not run for elected office in the city.

"I've been in the city 28 years. I love the city. My wife and I raised our kids here. But I got frustrated with the egos, the politics and the ad-hoc solutions," Livingston said. "We really do need to come together and decide what we want to be, where we want to go, because the city is growing."

Livingston has called for Norwalk to hire a certified city planner to better guide development.

The Rowayton Democrat said a strong educational system is needed to attract and retain families and businesses in Norwalk. While the council doesn't have line-item authority over the Board of Education budget, it can and should look at the budget, "dissect it and see how it is going to advance the educational system."

Lastly, Livingston said he and Igneri will work to limit the growth in residential property taxes by growing Norwalk's Grand List through commercial development.

"The only way to limit residential property tax growth is to grow the Grand List and expand the base," Livingston said. "Mayor Rilling is doing that with the projects on the table."

District E includes Rowayton and West Norwalk. Unaffiliated voters make up the largest portion (40.2 percent) of registered voters in the district followed by Democrats (33.9 percent), Republicans (23.7 percent) and Independents (2.2 percent), according to the Registrar of Voters Office.

Livingston and Igneri will face Republican John G. Bazzano and David T. McCarthy on Election Day Nov. 3.